1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to a seating device, and more particularly, to an orthotic seating device for use in a sling seat.
2. Background of the Related Art
Many elderly, disabled, and bariatric persons are prone to positioning abnormalities while seated in standard wheelchairs.
Positioning abnormalities include sacral sitting and sliding from the seat, lateral leaning tendencies, strong forward leaning tendencies, and other leaning or slouching posture while sitting in a chair. Severe and chronic positioning abnormalities can increase the users risk of injury, including risk of falls, risk of aspiration, risk of respiration and digestive complications, and risk of pressure sores (decubitus ulcers). These problems can require professional attention or hospitalization, and are costly to treat. Individuals experiencing these problems are subjected to discomfort, pain and even premature demise.
Chronic positioning problems also have quality of life issues for affected persons, making simple tasks such as eating, drinking, or maintaining eye contact difficult or even impossible without seating correction. Positioning problems that limit the patient's ability to sit securely in a wheelchair can also result in the patient spending considerable time in bed or in a geriatric recliner. Spending significant waking hours in an abnormal position can result in psycho/social set backs, increased use of medications, reduced caloric and fluid intake, aspiration and respiration problems, and may result in increased risk of injury.
Furthermore, persons spending large amounts of time sitting in wheelchairs and other chairs, who lack the ability to shift their weight, are susceptible to pressure sores from a concentration of pressure around areas of bony prominence, such as the ischial tuberosities and coccyx. According to the Merck Manual of Geriatrics, the estimated prevalence of pressure sores in geriatric long term care facilities is as high as 23%, and among home care patients, as high as 12.9%. Pressure sores are painful to the patient, costly to the facility, and increase mortality rates in elderly patients.
Therefore, it would be desirable to overcome the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art with a seating device that provides improved posture correction, pressure relief, and seating stabilization. It would be highly desirable if the seating device and its constituent parts are easily and efficiently manufactured and assembled.